16/08/2013 00:00
TW
0
By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
MILLIONAIRE British businessman Paul Davidson yesterday took the first of the final few steps towards taking over Real Mallorca Football Club and confirmed the Bulletin's report last month that the former Chief Executive of Everton Football Club, Keith Wyness, would be joining him in the new venture.

Davidson officially announced to the City of London yesterday that he has stepped down as Chief Executive from the board of his engineering and pipe company Fluid Leader Group PLC “in the light of his other business commitments.” Davidson explained in confidence to the Bulletin on Monday night that those other business interests are his new project in Majorca and has stepped down so that he can “dedicate all his energy and attention 100 percent to Real Mallorca.” He will however remain as a non-executive director and technical consultant to the company which will be marketing and producing what will become Real Mallorca branded pipe fittings as part of Davidson's commercial plan to generate funds for the club.

The other significant announcement was the appointment of Keith Wyness, who resigned from Everton last month, as a non-executive director of the company
Wyness, an Industrial Economic graduate from Nottingham University and marketing and press director for the Sydney Olympic Games, British Airways and Concorde as well as CEO of Everton Football Club, will, for the time being, apparently take care of marketing Fluid Leader Group's products until Davidson takes control of Real Mallorca when he buys chairman Vicente Grande's 93 percent share in the club for an estimated 38 million euros.

Once the take over is completed, Wyness's responsibilities are expected to widen and include marketing of the global Real Mallorca brand Davidson intends to create to finance the club's football which will continue to be directed by the current chairman and his team.

As we reported yesterday, Davidson started studying the completed due diligence report on Monday night and he said everything, as he and his team had expected from Vicente Grande, “appears in order. Very good.” Davidson added that they now have to study the report more closely “there may be a few questions we will need answered, but we're really now waiting for the seal of approval from the accreditors and the judge. “ He said that he has the money on the table and, once any possible last minute queries are sorted out and the accreditors and judge handling Grande's insolvency give their seals of approval “I'll part with the money and be able to concentrate 100 percent on my new Majorcan adventure.” Davidson also said that he had been monitoring the club's activities over the past few weeks regards new signings and sponsorship deals and said approvingly that Grande's recent achievements further demonstrate why he wants to keep Grande on as chairman for at least five years. “As I've said from the start, I know how to manage companies and market products, I don't know anything about running a football, club. I'll stick to marketing and raising funds and let Grande and his team continue the good work managing the team and managing the funds I provide them with.” Frustratingly for Davidson, Plc business commitments will prevent him from being able to attend tonight's City of Palma Cup.